The Chris LoCurto Show

401 | Guest Serena Dyksen: A Journey From Broken to HealedHow is fear holding you back from getting the healing you need?Today on the podcast, we’ve got special guest Serena Dyksen with us. Serena is a published author, speaker, coach as well as a Next Level Life participant. She’ll be sharing her journey from brokenness to healing, the struggles that made her grow, and how She Found His Grace, the title of her latest book - is available on Amazon by clicking this link. In this episode, Serena and I talk about: Sexual assaultFear and painSelf-sabotageThe ChurchRedemptionFreedom[Tweet "For some of you, you may be holding yourself back from getting the help and support you need in order to find real healing because of fear. Fear actually plays a baseline role in us not moving from woundedness to wellness: fear of others’ opinions, fear of judgement, fear of risk, etc."]On today’s podcast you’ll discover the courage you need to move past fear and find freedom!

400 | Seth Godin InterviewJoining me on the podcast today is entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker Seth Godin. We have a GREAT conversation together that you won’t want to miss! You’ll discover some crazy-practical insight as Seth and I discuss:the cost of creativitythe value of good workand finding happiness in lifePart of the toxic myth is this thing about authenticity, which is, "Be who you are, do what you want, and things will follow." And that makes a really fine aphorism. But it doesn't actually hold up, if you examine it. In fact, the most reliable way to have a happy life is to make the commitment to like what you do.You’ll find our conversation inspiring, as well as thought-provoking, as Seth unpacks some of important life-learnings like: how he compares creativity to learning to ride a bike!Nobody's born knowing how to ride, and the art of learning to ride a bicycle is simply about sticking around long enough that you get over the falling part. I know today’s episode will shine a ray of light and inspiration onto the road ahead of you!Resources and Links:https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Shipping-Creative-Work/dp/0593328973/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OADQUEFQIG9K&dchild=1&keywords=seth+godin+the+practice&qid=1610050731&sprefix=seth+godin%2Caps%2C188&sr=8-1

How many of you were just itching to push the “reset” button on last year? Or maybe even “fast-forward” past 2020 altogether? Well, we’re finally here! While I can’t promise you better circumstances this year, I can tell you that your experience of life can definitely be better - if you want it to.On today’s podcast, we’re breaking down “perspective-gathering” to a practical level, so we can gain more clarity, enjoy deeper relationships, and actually enjoy our lives more. → What?! Chris, you’re saying that if I just change my perspective, I can enjoy a better life?! The short answer is YES! Why? Our attitude towards ourselves, other people, and circumstances all determine how we will experience those things. Here’s what I know to be true, the greater perspective that we have: the better decision-making we have, the better relationships we have, the less need for control, the less need for protecting ourselves, the less need for building up walls, the less need for feeling like somebody is on the attackIn this episode, I’m going to show you how to slow down, gain better perspective, and (with that perspective) get the most out of your circumstances and relationships.

There is a tendency among leaders today, anybody with responsibility really, to focus on themselves to the detriment of those around them. One reason for this is that responsibility can feel like a weight on your shoulders, and helping others along the way can feel a little daunting!Nobody wants to end up overwhelmed, and yet healthy leaders eventually learn a trade secret. An unhealthy self-focus might just be what’s holding you back from growing as a leader, not to mention really growing others and leading them well. So, how do we break out of this cycle?I’ve spent decades learning to lead myself, so I can effectively lead others. Let me walk you down the same path that I’ve walked. On today’s show, you’ll discover:*How to get healthy, so that you can pour into others*How to get your relationships into right order of priority*How to get your focus off of you, so you can help othersResources:Blog Post and show notes: https://chrislocurto.com/healthy-leaders-pour-into-others/Next-Level Life: https://chrislocurto.com/nextlevellife/Next-Level Leadership Live Event: https://store.chrislocurto.com/next-level-leadership-event/

Today on the show we're talking about managing the stress of the holiday season. I'll give you some practical advice and solid encouragement for dealing with the various family, home and travel stresses that you're going to encounter this week and next. We'll talk about:1) What NOT to do.2) What you should do.3) And, what's in it for you!You can do more than just "survive" the season that we're in. You can actually thrive right now where you are, and come out on the other side of this season having gained greater perspective, richer relationships, and more peace than you thought possible. But, first, we've got to prepare our hearts, and that's what we'll do together on today's show.

Leader, this is how you know whether or not your leadership team is going to succeed: each team member must have and maintain a teachable mindset."Each person can choose to take tough conversations as pressure and become self-protective, even prideful, and start to fight with each other. Or, they can use those tough conversations to grow, because they want to be better - each one wants to learn and grow together as a unified team."Today on the podcast we’ve got a little twist for you: we continue to explore developing your leadership team, but this time I get to interview my own leaders!We’re going to tackle some tough questions like: - what are leaders missing by not investing (their time, resources, quality communication, etc.) in their own leadership teams? - How do you know when a leader isn't cut out for the leadership team, or when they shouldn’t even be a leader at all? - And what are the major challenges to maintaining high levels of quality communication within the team (and how to resolve those challenges)?

On today’s show we’re going to play the game called “Would you rather?” :-)Would you rather have SHORT term success and LONG term failure… ...OR… Would you rather have LONG term success and SHORT term failure?!Think about your response, the choice is yours. Today’s show is about persevering until we find sustained success, which means that we’ll have to press through some short-term failures in order to get to that long-term success we all want.For some people, that next breakthrough they’ve been after is just around the bend, but settling for less, getting tired, sloppy, and then throwing in the towel can keep them from realizing it. Has that been your story this year?Has your strength been tested with COVID, the economy, and political unrest?How many times have you gotten up in the morning and wanted to throw in the towel?What do you do when you don’t think you’ve got another good idea in you and you just want to quit?I’m going to give you a good shot in the arm today - consider it a booster for your enthusiasm and morale - to help you finish this year well!“Push back against the age as hard as it pushes against you.” - Flannery O’Connor

On the show today, we’re talking about three reasons your business isn’t growing. THE FIRST REASON - FOCUS ON NUMBERS AND NOT ON PEOPLE. Plans, numbers, projections, agendas, and strategies are all NECESSARY, but the focus should be on the PEOPLE who are going to make that happen - not the other way around!THE SECOND REASON - LIMITING BELIEF SYSTEM (CRAZY CYCLE). It’s all on them as the “leader” to carry the load.THE THIRD REASON - FEAR AND/OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. They don't know how to execute well.

395: How Gratitude Helps Your Heart Grow by Chris LoCurto

In today's podcast, we are going to dive into understanding why we label and judge those around us, how we can stop ourselves from living in this negative mindset, and why being self-aware is key in preventing us from living in a false narrative.

It's a scary world out there when we put labels on people. We live in a culture that is obsessed with cancling people, labeling everyone, and an insane amount of negative self-talk. This can become exhausting, but we also fall short in getting caught up in all of this! So, how do we survive in this world? Well, it starts with taking responsibility of what YOU do, how you label people, and the boundaries you need to create.

The only thing on your mind today may be the word "leadership" because of this election happening! Well, as uncertain as the election is, I want to remind all of the leaders that YOUR leadership is one that also needs attention. In a time of fear and uncertainty, your team needs to see you striving for excellence. In today's podcast, I talk about how we as leaders need to push into our excellence- especially during this time!

Today on the podcast we’re talking about what to do when you don’t like the person you see in the mirror. Self-loathing is not a new phenomenon - it’s part of the human condition. All of us have moments of being disgusted with some aspect of ourselves - whether our appearance, attitude, behavior, etc. Besides that, we live in a world that wholesale BINGES on comparison and the result can quite destructive. The good news is that we can dig into our “root-systems”, deal with the skeletons and excess baggage in our closets, uprooting the lies that we tell ourselves, and self-manage to a healthier version of us. Joining me on the podcast today is our very own Joel Fortner! Together, we've led hundreds of people through the Next Level Life process - I'm excited that we get to share from that wealth of knowledge and experience!

"You can't change unless you're aware of what's going on" So, we ask you, leaders, do you know what's going on? In the second part of this podcast, My Leadership Team talks through what being vulnerable looks like, how to build a relationship and trust in your leadership team, and all the outstanding benefits there are in this! This was so fun for our leadership team and our goal is for you to understand more about our leadership relationship to inspire you to create one that will become stronger in trust, vulnerability, and success!

Today, I take you into my leadership team! In this podcast, my two leaders, Heather LoCurto and Joel Fortner join me on the show to discuss what it's like to be a leader, what struggles they have overcome, and all the great things they have learned throughout the years.